I Should Tell You
by jellykitty
Summary: Remus Lupin never thought he could attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, thanks to the trusting Headmaster, he is able to begin is years at Hogwarts under the assumption that he'd be the only werewolf there... RLOC, SBOC, JPLE
1. Acceptance

A/N: Hello! Welcome to my new story! It's been on my mind for a while and I'm finally getting around to writing it. It was inspired by the song "I Should Tell You" from the amazing musical RENT. I came up with the idea while listening to the song, but this isn't a songfic. I hope everyone enjoys, I know this first chapter is really short, I'll be writing another one soon. Review and let me know what you think!

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Remus Lupin awoke on the morning of his eleventh birthday, wishing he could sleep through the day and never know it had happened. Any other year, he would have been thrilled it was his birthday, but not this year. Remus was a wizard, and most eleven year old witches and wizards began studying at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Remus, however, had known for several years that he would not be attending the school. No headmaster would ever consent to allow a werewolf into their school.

"Remus!" His mother called from down the hall. He rolled over in bed, not wanting to hear her cheerful birthday wishes, but obliged nonetheless. Rolling out of bed and tying a deep blue bathrobe over his pajamas, he walked down the hall and into the kitchen where his mother had prepared a large breakfast of all his favorites. "Happy birthday, darling." she said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Morning, Mum." he said with a soft smile, not wanting to hurt his mother's feelings. He sat down at the table and prodded his fork into a bit of sausage. His mother stood at the sink, watching her son, smiling a knowing smile.

"There's someone here to see you." she said as though about to introduce a small child to Santa Claus. Remus glanced up from his plate, a quizzical look on his face. He was spared the trouble of asking when a man with a long white beard and hair, glasses, and a very crooked nose wearing deep purple wizards robes entered the kitchen from the living room. Remus had no idea who this man was, so didn't feel the need to stop eating or make any formal greeting. The man smiled serenely at the young boy.

"Good morning, Mr. Lupin. Happy birthday, my dear boy." he said with as much enthusiasm as if he'd known Remus his whole life. Remus, having been in the middle of a rather large bite of eggs, answered as best he could.

"Fank oo." He gave his mother another look, swallowed his eggs, and dropped his fork. Something in the old man's demeanor gave Remus the impression that a bit more respect was called for. The man appeared not to have been bothered by the boy's less than formal response.

"I expect you are wondering who I am?" he asked politely. Remus gave his mother another hesitant glance, then nodded. "My name is Albus Dumbledore." Remus's expression must have given him away as Albus Dumbledore gave a small laugh. "I see you've heard of me. Then I would venture to guess that you know that I am the Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, am I correct?" Remus nodded, standing up from the table, now knowing this man deserved his utmost respect. There was a momentary pause. Remus looked back at his mother, who continued to smile at her sandy blonde child, then back at the Headmaster. Finally, he found the nerve to speak.

"Erm…Sir, I don't think I understand." Dumbledore looked intrigued and allowed Remus to continue. "I don't understand why you're here. I'm not supposed to be attending Hogwarts." Remus said with a slight pang in his stomach. Dumbledore grasped his hands behind his back.

"Ah, yes. I see you've assumed your condition makes you ineligible for acceptance." Remus was taken slightly aback that the Headmaster knew of his condition, but didn't comment. "I suppose under any other Headmaster or Headmistress, you might have been correct. However, I see no reason, under certain precautions, of course, why you should not be able to attend." Dumbledore continued to smile down into Remus's amber eyes.

"Precautions?" Remus asked. Dumbledore nodded.

"Oh yes. I have already taken the liberty of modifying certain aspects of the school for your safety and the safety of others. The staff is already aware of your condition, and arrangements have been made to safely escort you from the grounds for your transformations." Remus was starting to believe that he wasn't dreaming.

"So…I can really go?" he asked hopefully. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and his smile broadened.

"Of course, my boy! We can't let your unfortunate condition keep you from a proper education, can we?" Remus beamed, looking over at his mother.

"Mum! I'm going to Hogwarts!" he said, nearly jumping from the excitement. His mother smiled at him even brighter.

"That's wonderful, dear." Remus noticed how calmly his mother was taking this fantastic news, but didn't let it get in the way of his excitement.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. You'll be needing this." the Headmaster pulled out a sealed letter with Remus's name written across the front in ornate letters from the folds of his robes and handed it to Remus. It was his official acceptance letter and his supply list for the school year. Remus beamed at the letter and ran from the kitchen, down the hall, and into his room where he promptly pinned the letter to his wall above his bed.

"I'm terribly sorry about that, Professor. He was very upset about not being able to attend." Mrs. Lupin explained her son's behavior to Professor Dumbledore.

"Quite alright, madam. Very understandable. I hope you don't have any worries about the school year." Dumbledore said, opening the floor for questions. Mrs. Lupin did not appear worried, but did have a question on her mind.

"What about the other students, Professor? What will they be told?" Dumbledore appeared to have expected this question.

"Nothing at all. My staff has been informed not to divulge any information about Remus's condition. Who he chooses to tell is entirely up to him, although, a bright young boy such as him undoubtedly realizes such things are better left unsaid."

Remus sat on his bed, staring up at his letter with bright eyes. He was going to Hogwarts. He was actually going to Hogwarts! Soon he would be buying his first set of proper wizards robes and he'd have a wand. Remus wondered momentarily if he'd be able to make friends at his new school. He couldn't befriend any of the muggle boys in his town, they wouldn't understand is disappearances. He didn't let that worry him, however. The only thought that could bring him down was the five months between his birthday and the start of term.


	2. First Impressions

-1Remus looked around at the hustle and bustle of Platform 9 ¾, excitement building in his chest. In just a few short hours he would be walking across the threshold into Hogwarts. All around him students were hurrying onto the large, red steam engine, hauling their trunks behind them and kissing their parents good-bye. Many of the older students were greeting each other after a long summer's absence. Remus was jogged from his thoughts as a hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up to see his mother smiling at him, slightly teary-eyed.

"You ready, Remus?" she asked. It was very obvious to Remus how hard she was working to hold back tears. He smiled at his mother. He was feeling a bit nervous, but was more ready for this than he could have expressed.

"I'll be fine, Mum." He assured her. His mother nodded and pulled Remus into a tight hug, which he returned.

"Have a wonderful year, darling." she said, kissing him on the cheek. Remus nodded and grabbed his trunk, pulling it toward the train. The corridors of the cars were crowded and filled with chattering students. Several times, Remus had to stop short as people would dart back and forth from cabin to cabin. He was starting to get the feeling that he alone knew no one on the train, and sought out an empty compartment. Finally, somewhere in the middle of the train, he found himself a deserted compartment and slid the door open. Once his trunk was safely stored in the overhead, he pulled down one of his books on magical creatures and settled himself beside the window.

There was a lurch and a whistle as the train began to pull away from the station. Occasionally, Remus would look up from his book to look at the countryside whizzing by, wondering how far it was to Hogwarts. Just then, the door to his compartment slid open and the head of a young boy, around Remus's own age, with untidy black hair and glasses emerged from behind it.

"Mind if we share? I couldn't find another empty one." the boy asked. Remus shook his head and gestured for the boy to come in. He obliged and sat down across from Remus.

"My name's James. Who are you?" he asked.

"Remus Lupin. Nice to meet you." he answered politely. James gave him a strange look.

"Awfully polite, aren't you? What are you reading?" he asked, nodding towards the book Remus had set on his lap when James came in. He held the book up so James could read the cover.

"_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. I heard there's plenty in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. Does that book mention anything?" James asked. Remus noticed a certain mischievous tone to James's voice when mentioning the Forbidden Forest, which he hadn't heard of before.

"The Forbidden Forest?" he asked. James's eyes widened.

"You don't know the Forbidden Forest? Everyone knows about it! It surrounds Hogwarts and is supposed to be filled with horrible creatures. Students aren't allowed in." James explained with a certain air of disbelief and joy at the ability to enlighten a new soul. Remus went to respond when the door slid open again. This head belonged to another young boy with longer black hair. The head was accompanied by a body that slipped inside and shut the door, ducking down under the window. James and Remus gave each other curious glances as the boy on the floor watched through the window, out of sight. Just then two older students came hurrying past the window, glancing in real quick then hurrying away. One, a girl with long blonde hair, looked rather upset. The boy peaked back out the window to be sure the two were gone. He wiped his hands of invisible dust and turned around, stopping as if he'd just realized Remus and James were there.

"Oh. Hello!" He said cheerfully as if nothing had happened. Remus and James exchanged glances again before returning his greeting. "Sorry about that, had to avoid a few people." the boy said, sitting down on a seat one down from James.

"What was that all about?" Remus asked, pointing toward the door. The boy looked over as if he was expecting something to be there. When he saw nothing, realization seemed to dawn on him.

"Oh that! Nothing important, just a little misunderstanding over an owl." At this, Remus and James exchanged their most curious glance yet, but silently agreed that it was better not to ask. The boy seemed not to have noticed. "Sirius Black. And you two are…?" He asked looking between the two.

"James Potter and that's Remus Lupin." he said, introducing Remus for him. The three began talking about the school and what house they'd like to be placed in, Quidditch, and the many myths and rumors of the infamous Hogwarts Castle. The train finally pulled up to Hogsmeade station with a loud whistle. The boys, already changed into their school robes, lowered their trunks and left the train.

"Firs' years, this way!" Came a loud booming voice from Remus's left. The three looked over and saw a very large man, who towered over the heads of the rest of the gathering students, standing at the edge of a lake. Remus was momentarily reminded of a great grizzly bear on it's hind legs.

"Well, get a move on, then! We'll miss the boats and never get to eat!" pushed James. Remus, James, and Sirius pushed their way through the crowd toward the giant man.

"Hello, there! Firs' years, I take it?" the man asked in his gruff voice as the three finally reached the edge of the lake. They found a whole fleet of tiny boats, each equipped with an oil lamp swinging from a post at the bow. There were already a scattered number of students in the boats, all looking around apprehensively at the surrounding lake. The sun had set already, so the body of water appeared to be nothing more than a vast, black abyss. "All aboard, then!" the man said after the three nodded slowly. "Name's Hagrid. Go on, then. In yer go." Hagrid said as he hoisted each trunk into a separate, larger vessel. Remus figured Hagrid must go across in the boat with all the trunks. He was much too large for the tiny ones they were taking. One by one, Sirius, James and Remus climbed into a single boat, leaving room for only one more first year. Hagrid resumed his calling.

Remus leaned his head over the edge of the boat and looked down into the water beneath them. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the pure blackness of the water below before he realized there were black shapes moving under the surface. Every now and then, part of the creature would catch the light of a swinging oil lamp, causing it to shimmer and then fade away as it moved out of the light's range. "Mermaids!" Sirius exclaimed. Remus looked over at him and then back down at the water. How much about Hogwarts didn't he know? Sirius and James took to pointing out every mermaid they could spot, though Remus was sure it was the same few over and over, when their boat was filled.

"Sorry, didn't mean to intrude, but Hagrid wouldn't let me get a boat of my own until this one was filled. I'm Madelyn Taylor. Oh, are you watching the mermaids?" she asked as she hung her brunette head over the side of the boat James and Sirius were leaning over. Remus sat very still as he began to feel the boat lifting off the water on his side.

"Erm…Are we tilting?" he asked, looking over the edge of the boat and noticing the water seeming to drop away. The other three ignored him, and just as the boat seemed sure to capsize, a giant, slimy, white tentacle reached out of the water and wrapped it's suction cups over the edge of the boat, pulling it back down to the water. All four occupants were thrown to the floor.

"What was that?!" Madelyn asked, sliding over beside Remus, who was gripping the edge of the boat so hard his knuckles were white, and looking over the edge where the tentacle had retreated beneath the surface.

"A tentacle! What else is in here?" he asked, looking around at James and Sirius, who were both pulling themselves up on one of the benches.

"Tha' would be the Giant Squid." Said Hagrid, who had turned around at the sound of the boat crashing back into the water. Madelyn's eyes lit up in excitement. Both Sirius and James exchanged looks of disgust. Remus just seemed happy the boat was flat on the water again. "All righ', everybody ready?" Hagrid called to the now filled boats as he climbed into his own. Then, as if being pulled on an invisible track beneath the water, the fleet pulled away from the water's edge and out into the middle of the lake.

For a while, it appeared that they weren't moving at all. All Remus could see on either side of him was darkness. Then, out of nowhere, as if it had emerged from the ground before them, a giant castle broke through the black. The faintest of outlines could be seen against the black sky and little squares of yellow light shown through the many windows of the school. The boats docked at the edge of the lake, and there, standing underneath an oil lamp, apparently floating in mid air, was a very tall woman. She looked down her pointy nose at the first years as they scrambled to shore. Her tightly pulled, gray bun shone in the lamp light underneath her pointed witches hat. Remus was reminded, slightly, of a stork waiting patiently for a stray fish to swim by. He became immediately aware that this woman wasn't one to push.

"First years over here, please!" the woman called as the students appeared to be a bit confused as to where to go. At her command, they gathered around, waiting for instructions. "My name is Professor McGonagall. If you will follow me, I will take you up to the castle for the Sorting Ceremony." she said in a very business like tone. She turned and headed up a path in the direction of the castle. The first years followed, leaving Hagrid to deal with the luggage.

"You will enter the Great Hall in two lines. Hurry up, two lines, now. Don't doddle!" she said as the first years scrambled into two straight lines outside the doors to the Great Hall. "Now, you will make your way up to the stairs below the High Table. There you will wait for me." With that she opened the doors to the Great Hall with a wave of her wand and watched the very timid looking students enter in their two single-file lines. Remus looked around the expansive space. There were four tables, each adorned with a different set of colors. Flags waved lazily above each table sporting a different animal and four names, the names of each of the houses. At the far left was the Slytherin table, flying it's green and silver flag marked with a serpent. Next was the Ravenclaw table sitting beneath the blue and bronze flag sporting an Eagle. To Remus's right was the Hufflepuff table whose plump badger was framed with yellow and black. Lastly was the Gryffindor table, the house of choice of both James and Sirius. The proud yellow lion stood out against the black and gold flag. Remus glanced above the flags to the ceiling, which looked unnervingly like the sky outside. He became suddenly aware that the line of students had stopped as he nearly ran into Sirius, who was standing in front of him.

From a side door, Professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall and made her way in front of the staff table carrying a small stool with an old, tattered hat on top of it. She placed it in the middle of the platform that elevated the High Table and pulled out a long scroll of parchment. Before she began reading from it, however, a giant rip in the brim of the hat opened and it began singing a welcoming tune that introduced the four houses, their founders, and what they stood for. As soon as it finished, and the applause from the older students and the teachers sitting at the long staff table in front of the first years had died away, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and began calling names in alphabetical order to be sorted. Six names were called before Sirius, who was first of the three boys to be sorted.

"Black, Sirius!" McGonagall called. Sirius, who was now standing on Remus's left, walked up the steps toward the Sorting Hat. Though his posture showed the utmost confidence and poise, Remus noticed a certain look of fear on his face. He knew what this was, however, as Sirius had expressed a large concern of following the rest of his family into Slytherin House. He sat down on the chair and McGonagall placed the hat on his head. It began mumbling a few things, listing off several of the Black family it had sorted over the years, before finally shouting out "GRYFFINDOR!" Sirius hopped off the stool and punched the air excitedly before heading over to the Gryffindor table, which was roaring their approval.

After about thirty more names were called, Remus was next. Is heart began beating rapidly in his chest. He hoped that his condition wouldn't affect the hat's decision. He climbed the steps nervously, knowing his posture wasn't nearly as confident as Sirius's had been. He turned his back to the teachers before him and was now facing the hall full of students. As McGonagall placed the hat on his head, Remus's breathing began to quicken slightly, though he tried to keep his face from showing his nerves.

"Hmm…Interesting, very interesting…" mumbled the hat. "Lots going on in here…" Remus began to worry slightly that the hat would mention his secret in front of the entire school, but his nerves were calmed when the hat finally reached a decision. "GRYFFINDOR!" It shouted to the crowd. The Gryffindor table was in an uproar, as it had done for every student accepted to the house. Remus let out a sigh of relief before hopping off the stool, Professor McGonagall snatching the hat off his head. Hurrying over to the Gryffindor table, he sat down next to Sirius who clapped him on the back in congratulations.

"Potter, James!" McGonagall called some twenty names later. James made his way up to the stool, his demeanor somewhere in between Sirius and Remus's. He sat on the stool and the hat hardly needed to touch his head before it shouted "GRYIFFINDOR!" sending the table into yet another frenzy. James jumped from the stool and sat on Remus's other side, receiving several gestures of congratulations from the rest of the table. The rest of the names were called (including Madelyn Taylor's who had also been placed in Gryffindor) before the man who had appeared so unexpectedly in Remus's home stood from his spot in the middle of the staff table.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I do have a few announcements to make, however they are not so important that it should delay our meal. Tuck in!" he said and platters, bowls, and pitchers of food and drink appeared magically on all the tables. James immediately grabbed for the tray of chicken, pulling it towards him and piling three drumsticks on his plate. Sirius made his way to the large bowl of mashed potatoes and scooped several large spoons onto his own plate. Remus sat between the two, watching them shovel food into their mouths before deciding to join the fun. He grabbed the nearest platter of pork chops he could find and dug in.

"Pigs." a slightly familiar voice behind Remus, Sirius, and James said. All three turned around, each with mouthfuls of food to see Madelyn Taylor standing behind them. Sirius swallowed about half his food, just enough to enable some form of coherent speech.

"Ca' we ehwp oo?" he asked. Remus and James stifled a laugh, more to keep from choking than anything else. The corners of Madelyn's mouth turned down slightly in disgust.

"I was just wondering if you were done with the potatoes. My end of the table's eaten all ours." she asked, reaching for the potatoes.

"Hey, Maddy! The trays refill themselves!" shouted another girl a few seats down. James leaned around his friends to see who had called and saw another first year girl with flaming red hair calling Madelyn back.

Madelyn withdrew her hand. "Oh! Never mind, then." she said, waving to the three and heading back to sit down next to the red haired girl.

As soon as everyone in the hall seemed filled to bursting, the platters cleared themselves leaving the table looking as though there hadn't been a feast at all. Remus wished that he and his mum had had that at home, he'd never have to wash another dish. The hall was called to silence once more as the Headmaster once again stood.

"Another wonderful feast, I must say. Now, down to business. Of course, the usual rules are in place. There is to be no magic in the halls between classes. Mr. Filch would also like for me to remind you all that there is a full list of banned items hanging on his door. He would also like for me to add that anyone caught with these items will be severely punished." Remus was sure he heard a hint of amusement behind Professor Dumbledore's last statement. "In more recent news, many of our returning students will realize that there has been a new addition to our grounds; a tree, very painstakingly planted by our beloved grounds keeper, Rubeus Hagrid. I will warn you all to stay out of its reach unless you fancy every bone in your body broken. I believe those are all the announcements?" he asked, glancing back at the staff table in case there were any objections. When none came, Dumbledore returned his attention to the students and smiled brightly at them. "Very well. Prefects, make sure your first years make it safely to their dormitories. Have a wonderful evening and have a lovely start of term." And with a wave of his hand, the entire Hall seemed to raise up at once and head for the doors.

"Why would we care about a tree?" Sirius asked. Remus rolled his eyes, apparently he hadn't been listening.

"I'm guessing because it starts whacking anyone who goes near it. You heard what he said!" James adopted a very sarcastically stern look before continuing. " 'Stay away unless you fancy every bone in your body broken!' I want to have a look!" he added excitedly. Sirius seemed to agree with this and the two began inventing simple games to see how close they could get to the tree without getting the stuffing knocked out of them. After a few minutes, Remus began to see the humor in these ideas and joined in on the conversation. His words were knocked out of him, however, as something ran right into his back.

"So sorry! I-I seemed to have lost my house, see, and I was looking for a prefect." said another, very timid looking, first year. He had a very round face and beady little eyes and was a good deal shorter than the other three.

"What house are you looking for?" Remus asked calmly.

"G-Gryffindor." The boy stammered. He seemed very edgy, as though someone were about to yell at him at any moment.

"You haven't lost anyone, we're Gryffindor too. Stick with us, erm…what's your name?" Sirius asked.

"Peter. Peter Pettigrew." the boy answered. Remus couldn't understand why Peter was acting as though he were addressing men of a much higher rank than he. James laughed slightly.

"You're alright, Pete! Come on, let's find you a good home." he said, putting an arm around Peter's shoulder and ushering him along the hallway in the direction of the rest of the Gryffindors.


	3. Full Moon on the Rise

A/N: Hey everyone, sorry about the delay! I hope that these first few chapters haven't been boring, I have to establish a bit of a background story, of course. This will be the last chapter in the Marauder's first year, I will be skipping ahead to their second year, which should make things a bit more interesting. I'm also struggling a bit with the story line, trying to make it convincing and getting everything to tie together. So I hope you enjoy this one, let me know what you think!

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The first few days at Hogwarts were some of the happiest Remus had enjoyed in quite some time. He was beginning to think that Sirius and James were trouble, but he was enjoying their friendship nonetheless, finding most of their escapades to be rather amusing. Peter Pettigrew had taken to following the three of them around the castle ever since they helped him find the Common Room the first night. Remus wondered inwardly if Peter was afraid he'd be lost forever if it weren't for him, James, and Sirius. Remus was even enjoying his classes, unlike Sirius and James who seemed to think they had better things to do than practice spells. In fact, Remus was having such a good time that he nearly forgot that just five days after the start of term would be the first full moon in his new home.

For a few days after the start of term, Remus's mind would temporarily erase the knowledge of his condition. Reality would come crashing back to him, however, during his more boring lectures, or when he was studying on his own. Remus had never had the necessity to make up excuses for his appearance a couple days before the full moon. It was only him and his mother at home, and he had never really had friends around all the time. So when Sirius unexpectedly, and rather bluntly, questioned Remus's sickly look the day before his transformation, Remus was forced to search his mind rather quickly for a logical excuse.

"What's the matter with you?" Sirius asked as the group of four met up in the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Not feeling well this morning." Remus answered quickly, then added, "I'm starved, let's go get a seat." before Sirius could press the matter. The four made their way over to their usual spot in the middle of the long Gryffindor Table. Remus followed James and Sirius in silence, thinking up more and more excuses. He was pulled from his thoughts, however, when he ran full on into someone walking in the opposite direction. "Sorry! I didn't see you there." He apologized. A familiar brown haired, green eyed young girl half smiled back at him.

"No worries, I wasn't watching either." She apologized. Remus noticed that Madelyn Taylor wasn't looking well herself. Before he could ask, however, Madelyn gave him a last fleeting smile before moving around him and leaving the Great Hall, a slice of toast in hand.

"Did you see Taylor? Looks almost as bad as you, mate!" James announced as Remus sat down. He nodded and pulled a large bowl of porridge toward him, ladling a couple scoops into his own bowl.

"It better not be contagious! If I get sick, Remus, I'm blaming you!" Sirius announced as he took a bite of eggs and bacon. Remus half laughed and shook his head.

"Worried about missing classes, are you?" Remus asked, causing James and Peter to snort into their breakfasts. Sirius ran a hand through his hair.

"Course not. I just don't want to wake up one morning looking like you." It was the sort of playful insult that Remus had come to expect from his James and Sirius, and had long since found amusing. Remus didn't voice how true Sirius's statement was, however, and continued to eat his porridge.

Remus had already gone through the plan for the following night with Professor Dumbledore two days earlier. On the morning of the full moon, he was to awake rather early and head down to the Hospital Wing. There he would spend the day resting, something Remus was very grateful for. So, obeying Dumbledore's orders, Remus awoke before the sun had risen the day of the full moon. He peaked around the curtains of his four poster bed to be sure that both James and Sirius were asleep, as well as their fourth roommate, Frank Longbottom. After staring into the darkness for a few moments, being sure that he could make out the three distinctive snores of his roommates, he climbed out of bed and began dressing very quietly. This wasn't difficult to do as his whole body was already beginning to feel sore and achy and his movements were very slow.

The door to the boys' dorm snapped shut quietly behind Remus as he began to make his way through the Common Room and through the portrait that hung outside as the entrance, a painting of a rather large woman in a pink silk dress.

"A bit early to be out and about, isn't it, lad? Waking me up in the middle of a lovely dream, the nerve!" she called after him as he made his way down the corridor. He met Mr. Filch, the surly old caretaker of the castle, on his way to the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore had informed the entire staff at Hogwarts of Remus's condition, so Filch said nothing to him, but grumbled under his breath. Remus swore he heard something about "brats running the school." It was apparent that the inability to hand Remus a detention was putting quite a strain on the caretaker. His cat, Mrs. Norris, hissed warningly at Remus as he passed.

Remus arrived at the Hospital Wing, thankful to have avoided the school poltergeist, Peeves, who had made it very apparent the first day of classes that his job was to annoy, pester, humiliate, and cause trouble where ever he went. Remus pushed the large door open and entered. Madam Pomfrey was already tending to another student. She leaned over the small white bed, the curtains half drawn around it. Remus cleared his throat quietly and Madam Pomfrey immediately stood and turned to him.

"Mr. Lupin. About bloody time, boy. Here, have a bed at the back, I'll be with you in a moment." Remus had never met the nurse, and wasn't sure how to take her mixed greeting. Remus obeyed, however, and moved to the back of the long corridor lined with beds. As he passed the bed where Madam Pomfrey was again leaning over the patient, Remus caught a glimpse of who it was and recognized her immediately. There lay Madelyn Taylor, looking very pale and sick indeed.

He chose a bed at the far end of the corridor and sat down on it, looking around at the few items for whoever occupied it. There was a small tray to his side that was set on wheels, just high enough to fit perfectly over top the bed. Remus had to stifle a chuckle as he noticed a bedpan protruding just slightly from under the bed; he would _not_ be using that. After a few moments, Remus heard Madam Pomfrey pull the curtains around Madelyn's bed the rest of the way and hurried over to Remus's bed. She had what appeared to be a pair of blue striped pajamas in her arms. Remus wondered for a moment why he even bothered changing out of his own.

"Here you are, Mr. Lupin. I'll give you a moment to change." She said, drawing the curtains around his bed for privacy. Remus changed and sat up on the pillow, pulling the blankets up to his waist. Madam Pomfrey pulled back the curtains. "My, my, you do look peaky. I'm afraid there's not much I can do for you, but let you rest." Madam Pomfrey said, assisting Remus in lying down in bed.

"Madam Pomfrey, what's wrong with Madelyn?" he asked. Madam Pomfrey seemed to tense ever so slightly at his question, but covered it up almost immediately.

"I'm afraid Miss Taylor is very ill. She may be out for a few days, but you needn't worry, dear boy. Now, rest for a little while and I'll have someone bring you some food later if you feel hungry." She said and drew the curtains around him once again. Remus didn't dwell on Madelyn's illness for very long before falling into a deep sleep. It really was too early for an eleven year old boy to be awake.

A good part of the day went by as Remus slept. Somewhere around mid-afternoon, a small house-elf with a beak like nose and large, protruding eyes set a small platter of food on Remus's bedside tray.

"Would young master like anything else from the kitchens?" the small elf asked in a surprisingly deep and croaking voice. Remus shook his head, pulling the tray over the bed and stabbed his fork into his shepherd's pie. He finished his meal, leaving half of it on his plate, and pushed the tray aside, wanting nothing more than sleep.

He awoke several hours later to a soft tap on his shoulder. Remus opened one blurry eye to see Madam Pomfrey hovering over him. She looked slightly frightened, but determined. He turned his head toward the window outside and saw the bright orange of the sun beginning to set over the grounds. Sitting up in bed, and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Remus glanced around to see that Madelyn's bed was empty and that his tray of half eaten food was gone.

"I'm to escort you to the Whomping Willow. Would you like to change before we go?" she asked. It was obvious to Remus that Madam Pomfrey had no idea how to handle this unusual situation, but was trying very hard not to show it. Remus shook his head. He didn't see the point in changing clothes; he wouldn't be wearing them in the morning. Dumbledore had timed Remus's departure from the castle very carefully. He was to be escorted by Madam Pomfrey to the base of the Whomping Willow (a name it had already been given after several students tried to test their boundaries, James and Sirius included) just before curfew to be sure that no students would be roaming the halls.

Remus climbed out of bed and slipped his feet into the warm slippers Madam Pomfrey had handed him. He knew there would only be twenty minutes or less before the sun had fully set. Remus could already feel his blood beginning to change. His whole body ached, as it always did. Madam Pomfrey motioned for him to move toward the door.

Usually, around this time, his mother had already had him safely tucked away in their basement. There he would sit against the wall and wait for the moon to rise. He had never attempted walking this close to transforming, and was very glad that he hadn't. The pain shooting from the bottoms of his feet all the way up his leg was excruciating. It was as though he were walking around on ice with a 103 degree temperature. Madam Pomfrey strode just a few steps behind him. He couldn't see her face, but Remus got the distinct impression that she would be asking for a pay raise from Dumbledore very soon. He couldn't blame her. Remus was certain that escorting a young werewolf away from the safety of her office, alone, and only moments before the rise of the full moon could not be a very calming situation.

The two reached the Whomping Willow. The tree sensed their presence, but was still too far away to reach them with its thick, hard branches. The tree swung around wildly as Madam Pomfrey pulled out her wand and pointed it at the base of the tree. A streak of bright orange light shot over Remus's shoulder and hit a tiny knot protruding from the root of the tree. At the moment of impact, the tree suddenly froze in mid swing and straitened itself up, looking like a normal, harmless, willow.

"I will show you your way tonight, but tonight only. After this, beyond this point you are on your own." Madam Pomfrey informed him. Remus nodded and followed her underneath the tree. She pulled back a well hidden trap door and aloud Remus to lower himself into the dank, dark, low ceilinged passage. They walked for what seemed like ages before finally reaching the end of the long tunnel. Remus pushed open the small trap door and pulled himself out, brushing a few cobwebs out of his eyes. Madam Pomfrey struggled out shortly after him. "This is where I leave you, Mr. Lupin. There's a room upstairs on the left, I suggest you stay in there. Come back through the passage first thing in the morning, I'll be waiting for you outside the Willow." Madam Pomfrey informed him before turning and heading back down the secret passage.

Remus headed weakly up the stairs, running against the wall slightly as his limbs began to fail him. The door to the bedroom stood slightly ajar so Remus shouldered it the rest of the way open and stumbled inside. The whole house seemed to have been deserted for quite a long time. Thick layers of dust covered everything and when Remus took a heavy seat down on the couch in the room, a cloud of dust rose around him. He stared out the window directly across from his seat and waited for the moon to show over the top of the trees. Just before he lost control of his own thoughts, his mind flickered to his three friends, sitting in the Common Room, wondering where he'd been all day.


End file.
